Souls, Stripe's, Scarves, and Weapon's
by Epia
Summary: Five children live on the streets, forgotten to the world. Each abused in someway. When someone they knew asks them on her dying breath to go to Death City, what future will unfold. This is their life, as they grow up, relying on no one but each other.
1. Chapter 1

Souls, Stripe's, Scarves, and Weapon's  
Chapter 1 Introduction

**Complete Summary **

Five children, each of them forgotten to the world, all outcasts to society. The souls live in fear, the stripes denying something she doesn't know, scarves wishing for someone to care, and the weapon kicked out for fear of what she was. All abused in one way or another, but when that one person who accepted them for who they are tells them on her dieing breath to head to death city, what future will unfold. Read the life of these five children as they grow up on the streets struggling to survive, with no one to rely on but each other.

******Disclaimer**_**: **_I do not own Soul Eater, it rightfully belongs to Atsushi Okubo.

**Warning:** Rated T for mobbing, slight gore, violence, and child abuse.

**Author Note: **Hello readers! This is my first fanfic so please go easy on me. May be dark for the first few chapters, but it'll get better. This chapter takes place around 7-8 years before the beginning of the series. So enjoy!

_'Thoughts'_

**'Insanity'**

**

* * *

**

"KABOOM"

A girl is seen running, with her face hidden in the shadows of her hood. Rain continually pours down from the darkened sky, with thunder echoing in the distance. As lightning flashes from nearby, it reveals the girl's ripped, blood stained clothes, colored black and white, with a bag drifted over her shoulder.

"_Wait! Stop"_

As she continues running, splashing through puddles along the way, she asks herself "Why, why Am I different from everyone else?" Passing by a nearby window her reflection reveals three white stripes on the left side of her hair, splattered with droplets of dried blood. She looks back at her reflection revealing her terrified gold colored, bloodshot eyes, as tears cascade down her pale cheeks.

_"It's not my fault, I didn't mean it, I swear!"_

She continues to run, her destination unknown, along with the few items she has packed with her that she bothered to bring with her, already too young for this cruel, cold world.

_"I was tired, tired of the beatings, the abuse. Tired of __her__ saying things that I'm not"_

She trips, her and her things clattering onto the cold cement in the middle of the street. Hugging herself, she breaks out into loud, heart wrenching sobs.

_"It went by so fast I didn't mean to kill __her__."_

Quickly collecting herself, she gathers her things, wiping her eyes of tears once again.

_"I was scared of what __she__ would do to me... I had no control!"_

She gets back up, slightly shivering from the cold. Tears already begin to pour down her face once more.

_"It just happened, I…I suddenly felt a surge of rage from everything __she's __done to me. I just suddenly snapped, as I let my animalistic instinct take over, and all was black. The last thing I saw was a strange blurred object in my hand before passing out. It radiated with a strange feeling of dread, hate, pain and a slight sense of fear. It gave off a strange feeling of security and protection as all negative emotions suddenly disappeared."_

She ran faster than before, desperately trying to get away from the place she once lived.

_"As I awoke all I saw was red. __Her__ blood was splattered everywhere, __her__ innards scattered across the room. The object gone from my hands, as blood dripped slowly off of me. Nothing left of her except a glowing ball of light floating down in front of me. I suddenly caught it, fascinated with the strange orb, as it gave off an eerie glow of red._

"Why?"

_I finally noticed the blood once more, as it slowly seeped underneath my feet, the events that occurred minutes before came back to me. And suddenly I screamed, screamed until my voice was hoarse as I fell into the corner hugging the object into my chest, rocking back and forth screaming "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" as I burst out into tears, deep sobs racking my small thin body."_

Dashing past a corner a loud boom is heard, with a loud crack following soon after. Causing the child to run faster than before as fear turns into desperation, everything turning into a variety of blurs.

_"Now As I run away from this pain, and hate, answer me this."_

The girl finally escapes the city but continues running in an unknown direction. Up above the moon laughs insanely, blood flowing from its mouth, as she escapes into the unknown at the young age of six.

_"What is a shinigami?"_

_

* * *

_

In an alleyway of an unknown city lie two children. The older one clutches the younger one to his chest in his poor attempts at keeping the child warm. Both shivering in the downpour of rain as a cold breeze blows through the alley way, into the soggy cardboard box in which they lie in, both forgotten to the world.

_"Get back here you Brat!" as a stubborn voice shouts back "No!" which comes from a five year old boy"_

Suddenly the little one calls out in a high-pitched voice "Ni-Chan?", as the taller one softly replies "Yeah?" "I'm cold!" as her teeth began to chatter.

_"Suddenly a rock hits the boy in the head causing him to fall with a loud thump as an "ow" is heard. Blood drips from his wound, as the boy stumbles to get up, dizzy from the hit. The man picks up the boy by the collar of his shirt holding him in place."_

The boy replies "I know" before shifting her into a more comfortable position, cradling her as small wings of light in the shape of butterfly wings are revealed on her back, softly glowing in the darkness of their enclosure.

_"Ni-Chan!" "A young girl suddenly rushes up to him beating her tiny fists against the man saying "Put Ni-Chan down right now!" The man easily knocking her aside, causing her to fall, scraping her hands, and hitting her head on the cement as she began to cry" _

In a silent whisper the boy mutters "soul release" as a small surge of power goes around the area before quieting down. On the top of his head now lies a pair of fox ears, and on his bottom lies a foxes tail made from an orange light. Each gives off a soft glow, radiating with warmth.

_"Angered by the man's action the boy mutters "soul release" causing him to gain fox ears and tail, along with fangs protruding out of his mouth and claws covered in energy. His eyes appear to glow as his hair begins to spike up. The man's hand holding him begins to burn, as the boy slashes at his arm, causing blood to splatter about as smoke protrudes from the wound. The man let's go and began to back away, clutching his arm as he stares at the boy in fear before beginning to shout "witches!". Snarling, the boy crouches down in the same position he landed in, leaning onto all fours as his tail thrashes around angrily as it slowly rises from the ground. The boy lets out another snarl, eyes narrowing, and ears twitching back and forth, before letting out a long growl._

As the girl gets into a more comfortable position, lightning flashes from outside revealing frightened pink eyes, framed by elongated pink bangs, with hints of purple.

_"As people begin to protrude from their houses to see what the commotion is about, the boy walks over to his sister and begins to check on her. In response she clings to her brother sobbing, as he tries to get her to stop crying, blood dripping down her head. As he looks around he begins to see people forming a mob. Quickly, he picks the three year old up, placing her onto his back, and begins to run off using all fours to get away, as the mob chases closely after them. Someone from the crowd shouts "After them!" moments before._

A loud boom is heard and the girl squeaks in fright, snuggling closer to her brother. Lightning flashes revealing his orange spiky hair, and concerned blood red eyes, as he wraps his tail around her to try to comfort her.

_"After finally losing them, they stop in a nearby alley way. As the girl hops off, the boy checks on her wounds again, finding a gash on the back of her head. He rips off a piece of his already tattered shirt, tightly bandaging her wound. Now leaning against a wall, after taking a few deep breaths he puts his soul protect back on, before reaching into his pocket, pulling out a piece of bread. He splits it in half as voices in the background are heard faintly "Find them!" He hands his little sister the bigger piece as he begins to nibble on his own. Both sitting in silence as the girl cuddles with him, eating her own. Suddenly a raindrop falls onto them and as they finish their meal they walk over to the nearest shelter that happens to be a cardboard box. From it they sit and watch the rain as it pours down, the shouting quieting down, the mob given up for the night. _

As they begin to drift to sleep she asks "Why do people hate us?" as thunder crashes in the background, the only answer he can reply with is "I don't know" as he slowly closes his eyes, falling asleep for the night.

_When they awake they know that they'll have to leave for the risk of being chased for simply being who they are. As witches they have no one to comfort them, or protect them in this cold world for being what they are. For all they have are one another.  
_

* * *

In the attic of an abandoned building a whimper is softly heard, for hidden inside the darkened attic lies a seven year old boy, shivering softly from the cold, as he watches the world from underneath an old blanket, away from the flashing storm. He sits there staring out through a shattered window as water drips inside. Silently watching, as rain splatters about, pattering harshly against the window sill. His face hidden by a hood, shrouding his face from view as a long scarf dangles around his shoulders. Noticeably he shakes in fear as thunder violently rumbles in the distance.

_"Why...Why can't I be loved?"_

Quivering, he watches the storm get closer to the place he hides in, away from the prying eyes of everyone else, away from everything in which he fears.

_"Am I really that different from everyone else?"_

"BOOM" Startled, he jumps in fright, whacking his head off the low ceiling. Clutching his head, his hood falls away from his face, revealing a beautiful pair of amethyst eyes filled with an overwhelming longing, and deep sorrow, as well as a bottomless fear.

_"Can't anyone understand me?"_

Lightning flashes from nearby lighting up the darkened room, startled eyes blinking from the sudden brightness, as a third eye is revealed.

_"As I'm slowly suffocated from my fears"_

The shadows created by the light transform into hands, clawing at the ground, desperately trying to reach him. He backs up further against the wall believing them to be real, disappearing as soon as they come.

_"Won't someone tell me it's alright when I wake screaming from these nightmares?"_

His eye patterned hair spills over his face, his hood finally fallen down. He brings his knees up to his chest, hugging himself as his small thin body shakes from his suppressed sobs.

_"Can I really learn to trust after all that has been done to me?"_

**_Flash Back  
_**_"_You don't belong here you freak!" a voice angrily shouts out, overlapping all of the other noises that is heard coming from within a large crowd. Silent screams echo, barely being heard against the roars of the crowd. The screams come from within the crowd itself, begging for them to stop. "Ow! Stop it" it calls out. But they don't listen to him, and they continue to violently beat him. After all he's nothing but a demon.

_"Why are you doing this to me?"_

In the centre of the mob lies a small child, who appears to be the age of 6, younger then what he's suppose to be. He is curled up tightly into a small ball with his arms covering his face in a feeble attempt to protect himself from the onslaught of the crowd. They torment him with their vile words, and harsh beatings, neither of which he understands.

_"What have I ever done to you?"_

The mob expands, the blows continually raining down upon him from above, getting worse by the minute as he continues pleading for them to stop. "Stop Please!" he begs but is ignored. A loud "Crack" suddenly rang out from a hard kick to the ribs, and he cries out, earning a cheer from the crowd. "**Kill the demon, Kill it!"** the spectators chant in their madness induced craze.

"_To deserve this punishment"_

They manage to pull his arms away from his face, earning himself a cruel laugh at his misfortune as he lets out a loud yelp, after they forcibly move his left arm having been dislocated when he tried to escape earlier from the impending mob. They tear at his clothes as they all try to get at him as they yank his legs away from him. They force him to lie down onto his back as they each take a limb to hold him down, revealing his eyes filled with tears threatening to fall as a single tear falls down his cheek. They spat at him causing him to wince as they begin to aim for his face.

_"As I lie here dying inside"_

Not getting a reaction, they violently punch his stomach causing him to retch up blood. "Stop….Please" he quietly whispers. In response they punch his face, brutally whipping his head to the side causing him to smack into the pavement. Giving up, he finally lets his tears flow down, and closes his eyes hoping to fall into blissful unconsciousness. He is forcibly awakened as they yank at his eye patterned hair forcing his eyes to snap open as he lets out a gasp, as another violently stomps on his leg effectively breaking it as he screams out.

"_I don't understand any of this"_

"Please?" Deliriously he begins chanting slowly shaking his head back and forth. "Stop it… Stop it… Stop it" he whispers, whispers that quickly turn into full out screams. He lashes out, as he falls into madness "Stop it…Stop IT...**STOP IT!**" The madness that has been hidden away locked up inside his soul, his very own insanity finally being brought out into the open by the hateful actions of the humans themselves.

"_Something inside of me breaks"_

The area shakes as he begins floating up into a standing position, his face pitched forward leaning down as his arms hang limp in front of him. The feeling of loneliness and fear washes over the area, as it is mixed in with the emotions of hate, pain, and sadness as the insanity ruptures the area around him, a fierce wind blowing around him. If someone with soul perception was there within the crowd, they would of saw a giant red orb surrounding him, with three eyes glowing white in the center.

"_What is this feeling?"_

Suddenly he moves his right arm over to his left and grasps it, quickly relocating it back into its socket with a loud "Pop". An insane smile creeps onto his face as he looks up, glancing around at the remaining people of the crowd, his eyes filled with insanity. He suddenly falls into insane laughter as he mutters a single phrase** "ehehehe….Let's have some fun shall we". **His ripped, blood stained scarf which was drifting behind him suddenly moves, rising on its own and in a split second moves forward, piercing a man in the stomach instantly killing him.

"_This power… it scares me"_

The body unravels and disintegrates into dust as the man's soul appears, floating in the air. Screams fill the air as blood splatters about as the boy's scarves move forward slashing at people who try to escape, as his insane laughter fills the air. The scarf's rip at people's clothing, slicing their bodies into pieces, leaving behind only souls. By now his scarf has lifted up covering his face, as three red eye's glow upon it.

"_I'm suffocating in it"_

"**hihihihihihi"** He stands there giggling madly, with his hand up to his mouth in an attempt to stifle his laughter as people's limbs go flying, blood splattering onto his face. **"Ooh, pretty! ehehehe" **Tearing someone in half he moves onto the last person who is trying to drag himself away, his legs torn off earlier in the attack. **"Aw, don't you want to play?"** His scarves reach for him, tightly enclosing around his neck, choking him, as they drag the man over in front of him. The man lip's move saying something, but nothing comes out. **"Hmm..."** Leaning forward, he stares at the man for a few seconds before tilting his head and says **"Bye~bye" **as his scarf waves in a waving motion. The man stares at him in fear until his head suddenly flies off, his body crumpling forward as the boy laughs maniacally. The man's body dissipates and his soul rises out, floating motionlessly in the air.

"_I…I want it to go away"_

All around him multiple colors of souls drift aimlessly around, as he begins flying towards the soul of the man he just killed. Floating in front of it, he finally drifts downwards landing on the ground. As he grips onto it using his tattered, blood stained scarf he stares at it for a moment before opening his mouth and lifts it upwards, towards his mouth.

"_Make it stop!"_

As he lifts the soul upward towards his mouth, he suddenly stops and drops it as he begins to back away, shaking his head back and forth as he clutches it in pain. He throws his head back and screams. Falling to his knees, he throws his head down to the ground, as he gasps for breath, almost hyperventilating, before lifting it back up and screams once more. The glowing red eyes that decorated his scarf repeatedly flicker, glowing, than fading away, before finally disappearing, as his scarf falls off his face. He lays his head back down resting it onto the cool ground, panting, as he finally stops screaming. His eye's snap open, as he groggily lifts his head up to glance around to what he's done.

"_Someone save me... Please'_

Looking at the surrounding carnage of what he did, his eyes widen in terror as he begins to shake, "No, no, no, no, no!" he says in a panicked tone, tears already begin to roll down his face as he descends into sobs. "No!" as he hugs himself, sobbing, as loneliness creeps up to him, never has he ever felt so alone.

_Flashback ends_

Finally lifting his head up, snapping out of his reverie, he asks himself "Am I really just a monster?"

_"All I want is a friend..."_

He looks out the window to find that the storm has finally ended. All that is left in its wake is a nice calm, as a cool breeze blows through the window as if what just occurred was never there.

"_I wonder who that man is, the one in my dreams… he looks just like me"_

He looks out into the vast expanse, staring up at the star filled sky.

"_He chases all my fears away leaving only nothingness in its wake"_

Suddenly, a shooting star streaks across the sky. He watches it in total fascination, as his mouth opens in utter awe, his eyes lit up as he displays a rare smile onto his face. .

"_Sometimes he mouths something to me but I can never hear him"_

He leans his head against the cool glass, closing his eyes as he makes a wish.

"_I'm not sure if I should be scared of him or not… after all he could be just like everyone else"_

"I wish, I wish upon that star for someone to love me, and hold me for who I am...for someone to take this fear, and pain away... I wish for someone to stop this pain in my heart... and to keep the loneliness away." he murmurs.

"_But __I think he's lonely just like me"_

He opens his eyes and looks out into the distance, finding dawn steadily approaching as streams of light begin to appear. "And most of all, I wish for a family" he finishes, as his smile falls into a sad one. Closing his eyes, he falls asleep, hoping to leave his fears behind, and to instead have sweet dreams for once.

_"If only..."_

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_A/N_: Please Review

**Vocabulary**

**"Ni-Chan"- **Big brother

**"Shinigami"**- Death god


	2. Chapter 2

Souls, Stripe's, Scarves, and Weapon  
Chapter 2 Misunderstood

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Soul Eater, it rightfully belongs to Atsushi Okubo. (If I did it wouldn't be as awsome as it is now) The only thing I own is my OC's.

**Author Note: **So sorry for the late update, this was supposed to be updated before summer but I was having issues on deciding whether to write this with my original plan, or skipping to Death city (as well as having repeating writer's block, thinking what to do for my profile page, becoming distracted *COUGHWoWCOUGH*, and other things), and then theirs the fact that I really suck at updating things, so I'll try to not let this happen again. Anyways thanks for reviewing, and hope you like it. Below is a random thing I came up with while writing this chapter and I liked it so I kept it in, anyways enjoy.

_I'm alone. Secretly hidden in the shadows of others as if invisible... Or maybe there just too blind to see outside their happy web of lies, seeing only into a mirror of their own false reality, as it's built upon its feeble protection of fractured glass, as the inside bleeds and the outside cries of the shattered me... No one cares about who I am, or what I think. To them I'm nothing but a Shinigami….whatever that is,- Lost Shinigami"_

* * *

In the Dawn of the early morning a child sized figure is seen, silently walking through the dirty streets, alone, and without a parent or guardian. Her dress hangs loosely around her legs, slightly oversized, and filled with rips, as threads hang limp from them. The upper tearing that are displayed from underneath the cover of her hoodie are loosely stitched in plain white thread, decorating the dull fabric in straight rows of X's, as their extensions reach out across deathly pale skin from the interior of the rips, as it struggles to hold the worn out cloth together. The color that used to be pitched black is now faded to a dull grey, and the white lining the bottom of the dress, now tinged with dirt, and faint speckles of dried blood. Her face shrouded by an oversized hood, covering her face from the unwanted stares of others. The hoodie itself is fairly oversized, and remains at a deep charcoal grey. It leans over her small form, as the sleeves lay limp at her sides, completely hiding her arms from view. The black stockings upon her legs are covered in small stitches, and are coming apart at the seams. Shoes discarded, she walks in barefoot, ruining the bottom of her stockings, as well as having blisters forms underneath them. Despite having sore feet she presses on knowing from past experiences that her wounds heal faster than others.

Up above the sun lets out a yawn, causing the figure to briefly look up towards it, as it awakens from its slumber. Continuing on her way she walks out onto an open street where people move about busily, towards their own destinations.

Casually, as if not to raise suspicion, she walks over to a shop window as if gazing in at the houses exterior. Instead using the reflection displayed upon it from the sun, to look at her own reflection. Tucking a loose strand of black and white striped hair behind her ear, she lets out a satisfied grin at seeing only her own pair of eyes look back at her, before turning and continuing on her way, easily weaving her way through the masses of people.

Silently, without being seen, she sneaks up behind someone whose wallet is seen crudely protruding out of their back pocket, bountifully containing wads of cash, and manages to easily pick pocket the loot without trouble. Quickly looting the cash, she gently shoves the article back into its rightful place before sneaking away, back into the swarm of people. Merging into the shadows as if invisible, she ducks down into an alley way leading out onto a different street.

Before heading out onto this street she shoves the cash into the bag that hangs loosely from her shoulder, and walks out onto the street, continuing this process once more.

By mid-day she has managed to "borrow" several wads of cash from numerous people in the area, using expert like precision learned from years of practice, as well as a little added help from an unknown source of skill mixed in with a contribution of anonymous knowledge, with no-one noticing anything missing from their person before it's too late.

Deciding that she's collected enough for today she pulls out a worn-out pair of unkempt, black ragged shoes from the inner confines of her bag and slips them on, before heading over to a nearby restaurant, her stomach giving growls along the way.

**-BREAK-**  
Exiting the restaurant with a muffin in hand, she walks down the street earning a few odd looks along with some concerned ones. Ignoring them all she takes a bite out of the muffin, not noticing her hair beginning to show from underneath her hood.

Turning the street corner she ends up crashing into someone running and falls flat out onto her back, wind clearly swept out of her.

Finally remembering to breathe after laying there in shock, she slowly lifts herself up. Choked coughs emerge from her as startled tears trickle down her face. Not noticing her hood having fallen down from the impact of the crash, struggles to breath as she rapidly beats her hand against her chest.

With dirty hair cascading down her face, she looks over at the person she crashed into, and discovers a boy who appears to be her age with clothes in a similar state. His features are hidden from underneath an old ragged scarf, and only manage to catch a glimpse of his amethyst eyes before he tilts his head to hide them. Glaring at him for crashing into her opens her mouth to chew him out when startled gasps erupt around the area.

Quickly glancing around the area she notices dozens of eyes staring at her. Panicking, she quickly pats her head, her eyes widening in fear as she finally discovers that her hood has fallen down from the top of her head, displaying her stripes for the world to see. "No" she murmurs in disbelief as the area around the two becomes abuzz with whispered conversation.

"The stripe's means it's a Shinigami right?"  
"Yeah but I thought Shinigami-sama only has a son!"  
"Really?"  
Yeah, apparently he named him after himself,"

The boy who crashed into her slowly walks towards her, unconsciously rubbing his arm in a nervous gesture, "U-Um…A-are you al-alright?" he asks nervously, as he glances around in paranoia at their sudden whispers. In shock she doesn't reply as she continues to frantically look around, moving her head side to side in the direction of the people whispers. Her mouth moves to form a silent no over and over again.

"If she's a Shinigami why is she dressed like that...? She's filthy!"  
"Yeah, aren't they suppose to be better compared to the rest of us,"

Finally snapping out of it she hurriedly puts her hood back on, harshly tugging on it to make sure it's on, before scrambling to get up, the peoples whispered words repeating themselves inside her head. At this the boy steps backwards in fear, him sensing something coming from her as he nervously glances around at the crowd, twitching every few seconds from beneath the layer of scarves.

"Momma, why does that girl have stripes in her hair?"  
"Sweetie it's rude to point... especially at a Shinigami,"

Having enough of this, and with eyes overflowing with tears, she shouts out "Get...get away from me!" At this demand, dirt suddenly erupts around her, as a gust of wind blows itself around her. People step back in fear at the display of uncontrolled power, as she stands in the middle hugging her arms around herself.

Seeing the people step back in fear uses this as a distraction and begins to run towards an opening in the crowd. With their words swirling around her head, she puts on an extra burst of speed and flees the area.

Pushing through the crowds of another street, fresh tears fall down her cheeks. _"Shinigami, Freak, Disgrace,"_ As she run's, soon turning into a blurred figure, she soon merges into the shadows themselves...disappearing into the crowds as if she was never there. _"Stripes, Thing, Different"_These whispered thoughts echo in the silence of her mind from an unknown voice, are the last things heard from her before disappearing.

* * *

_**(Scarves' Pov)**_

A boy is seen running, with a slight limp to his steps, bumping into people in a state of panicked disarray. He pushes through others in an attempt to get away as he moves throughout the crowds disoriented.

_"Running,"_

_"I'm running..."_

The scarves which decorate him are tattered and worn, and are tightly wrapped around him as if to shield him away from the horrors of the outside world.

_"I...I need to get away!"_

_"Before it makes them hurt me again,"_

_"Before I lose control,"_

_**"Run Tsu-chan run!" **_A voice says before letting out a child-like giggle.

_"I...I don't want to hurt nobody no-more…"_

_"I'm scared!" _A long, whine like whimper escapes him, soft enough that nobody hears it.

*Huff...huff*

_"I...I can feel it,"_

*Twitch... twitch*

_"It...As it slowly crawls underneath my skin,"_

Pausing for a moment in order to catch his breath, he glances around at the surrounding crowds with a look of pure, apprehension on his face. He watches as people's faces once filled with life and joy slowly turn into that of a monster, who hide in plain site from underneath their safe layer of false human skin. Their faces are all the same, all marked with three glowing red eyes burned upon their skin, and their mouths sewn tightly shut in uptight smiles, laced together by black pillow lace. His left eye twitches as they all stop momentarily, and they turn their gazes onto him, staring at him with an unknown look in their empty eyes.

_"I'm suffocating…"_

His eyes blink rapidly in morbid fascination as the world around him begins to crumble, splintering at first with several small cracks, until it finally shatters and the illusion is gone, everything returning to normal.

_"Drowning…"_

He begins to run once more, faster this time as he involuntarily gives out an unwanted shiver.

_"So cold,"_

_**"They're coming ehehehe,"**_

"No... Please not now," he whispers.

_"Can't someone help me?"_

_**"They're going to get you!"**_

"No, no, no, no,"

_"I...I can't breathe in it!"_

He turns the corner with his hands tightly covering his ears, his eyes closed shut.

_"It hurts!"_

"I...I can't deal with it right now," he gasps out, his chest heaving up and down with effort as his fingers tighten their grip on his skull trying to not let the voice win.

_"Please?"_

_**"They're going to hurt you again, I know that you know this,"**_ The voice's tone giving off a vibe of someone frowning in displeasure.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up,"

_"They're...they're going to hurt me again!"_

"No...No their not," he whispers with clenched teeth, as he opens his eyes with a determined look in them.

_"It's getting darker…"_

"Just... just got to keep running...Everything will be ok,"

_"Everything's fading"_

"Just... have to breathe" He puts his hands down and clutches his chest, closing his eyes in pain as he tries in vain to take in large quantities of air.

_"I...I don't like this"_

"Why can't I breath!" he gasps out, eyes opening and widening in fear, as he glances down and claws at his chest, on the verge of hyperventilation

_"Someone help!"_

_**"They've found you ehehehe."**_

"Shut up SHUT up, SHUT UP!"

"SHUT UP!" He roars, turning the corner.

*CRASH*

Letting out a loud yelp, he stumbles backwards and onto the ground. Moving backwards until he determines that he's at a safe enough distance, he quickly gets up, his twitching becoming more noticeable than before. He looks down to see who crashed into him, only to see a girl around his age with features unlike everyone else's.

_"She's… different?"_

Noticing her staring at his eyes he tilts his head in order to hide them, blushing in total shyness.

"_What do I do?"_

"_**Apologize to her"**_

"_What! But, but what if she tries to hurt me?"_

"_**She won't… Don't worry, for she's the same as you…Us…different from everyone else"**_

"_But what if she isn't?"_

"_**Don't worry she won't… after all I'll protect you if she tries to"**_

"_I… I guess I can try"_

Walking up to the strange girl he stands their awkwardly, fidgeting with his arms, unsure of what to do. Finally deciding on what to say he manages to stammer "U-Um…A-are you al-alright?"

Suddenly hearing the whispered tones he glances around in paranoia noticing all of them to revolve around a shinigami. _"Shinigami?" _he wonders. _"What does that mean?" _ Looking back at her he notices her to frantically look around herself, as a sudden feeling begins to build up around her. A feeling just like his own, but in its own way different... _**"Heh…Told you" **_the voice says smugly_**.**_

At the sudden display of the familiar feeling, he begins to twitch as he unknowingly absorbs it, adding to his own. Her power begins to build up around her, increasing as she suddenly gets up, putting her hood back on, her arms tightly wrapped around her chest.

He steps backwards, as her power around her tries to take control of him, in the shape of shadowed hands. They try to reach him, clawing their way towards him from her shadow, but failing as his own shadow bats them away. The shadow's jagged mouth is open as if hissing and its three eyes narrowed, as its shadowy tendrils lashes around it.

As it struggles to reach him, the world around him begins to crumble and rust, the buildings cracking and faces flashing, it beckons for him to give in. Shaking his head he takes a couple steps backwards, sensing the power becoming stronger as she shouts out in a fit of frustration and insecurity, smoke blowing around, causing the intersection around her to bloom in rabid smiles and wide eyes. People step backwards in fear, the unseen smiles cackling in glee, as the girl sprints towards a gap in the crowd, unseeing of the world she has made.

Watching her leave, the world fades back to normal with the feeling disappearing along with her. He quietly murmurs to himself "Maybe…Maybe she understands after all"._** Not to bug you with I told you so… But I think you might want to leave"**_. Glancing down at his shadow, that is now facing him, with a grim smile on its face. "Huh… Why?" he asks. _**"People are beginning to stare". **_"What!" he exclaims. Quickly looking around he lets out a startled squeak, at seeing the people stare. As he quickly flees the area, the shadow cackles, before fading back to normal. _"Why me?" _he asks himself in his head.

* * *

Meanwhile in a nearby park the girl from earlier sits by herself, sad and alone on a swing. The swing moves slightly, rocking back and forth, allowing her feet to be dragged through a small puddle below her, as tears cascade down her bloodshot face. The hood has long since fallen down, showing her hair for all to see.

Looking at her reflection in the puddle below her, whimpering quietly to herself, she asks herself "I…I just don't understand… What makes me so different? Is it the strange markings in my hair which seems like nobody else has them… or is it the strange color of my eyes?"

"Maybe…Maybe she was right after all... Maybe I am just a freak, why else would they stare at me like so," she said bitterly , trembling as more tears make there way down. "Maybe I did deserve what she did to me after all, all the countless beatings and harsh words, calling me something that I'm not… I still don't understand why they call me that."

"Suddenly her face changes to that of a harsh one. "A shinigami!" she spat, shaking with suppressed rage. "Shinigami this, shinigami that! Was what she always called me…No name she gave me, nothing but that stupid word," She said, before snarling in rage. "I don't even know what that means!

And now that I'm free away from her, people are still calling me that name. They don't actually care for me at all. Just for this 'shinigami person'" she mocked, rolling her eyes. Well…well no more. I've had enough of this. Enough of not knowing who I am, enough of being called something that I'm not… Since they won't even bother telling me what it is, from now on I'm me and nobody else.

"So why… Why! Why! Why! Why! Why! Why do I have to be this shinigami person? Why can't I just be like everyone else? How can they think that I am whenever they see that I'm different! Just because I'm different than them doesn't mean they can stare at me like that. What gives them the right to make that decision for me!

"Well… Well no more! I've had enough of this. Enough of their whispers and their lies… Enough of what they think I am! Cause guess what, I'm not a shinigami you hear me! I'm not, no matter how many times they try to tell me that! For I won't listen, EVER! Never again shall I be mistaken as something I'm not, for I shall deny them and their stupid lies. For I choose for myself, and no will tell me what to do! FOR I DON'T CARE!"

"But then why! Why does it hurt so much, to see that nobody cares about me? That I'm just an outcast of society, the street rat, and the person that no one gives a glance to unless they see who I really am? I hate it! I Hate It! I HATE IT!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She screams, kicking at the water. The water making her stockings wet, as she lets out a few huffs of air. The anger suddenly leaves, her face turning crestfallen as she watches the ripples float over it. "Just why… Why can't they accept me for me and not for this shinigami person?" she whispers, as she closes her eyes.

"Umm... are you okay?"

* * *

_A/N: _Please review, and if you have any questions please ask.


	3. Chapter 3

**Souls, Stripes, Scarves and Weapon**

**Chapter 3: Fallen**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater in any way, shape or form for that belongs to Atsushi Okubo. I do own my OC's though...**

**Author's Note: Welp, it's official. I SUCK at updating things. I could just blame it on the lack of muses going on with this story compared to some of my other works but that wouldn't be fair. The only thing that you should know is that the next update will come eventually, as I am not one to give up on something, it just may take a while as this is just a side project that I work on. A side project that is probably tearing a hole into this universes fabric of space and breaking its many walls in the process, but hey! It's getting there. Now enough of my blathering, rambling, non-important wall of text, let's get on with the show! And to those who reviewed, I thank thee.**

_Falling; an act in which one falls through space and time, between consciousness and wakefulness. A time spent basking in the glow of hundreds of time lines joined together as one while staring, unblinking, non-seeing. Falling backwards, forwards, she doesn't know nor does she no longer remember, she doesn't think its matters much; knowing nothing but the chill of frigid waters seeping in through her clothing and startled eyes, wide-eyed, blank, and staring._

_Oh how she hated them; those eyes so bright and knowing._

* * *

Snapping her eyes open at the sudden voice, she quickly glances upwards, only to see a persons face right in front of her. Startled by the closeness of the unknown person, she leans backwards in an attempt to getaway, unfortunately falling right off the swing into the puddle below with a resounding splash.

Laying there dazed, she simply stares up at the clouds in confusion, only faintly registering a small startled squeak in the background. Moaning softly as a blurred figure comes into eyesight; all she can see are vast hues of pink. Blearily, she blinks, attempting to clear her vision, completely confused as to what just happened. Unable to, she decides instead to stare blankly at the strange child while trying to get her jumbled thoughts together.

'_What?'_

"Oops, I'm sorry; I didn't hurt you did I? Nii-Chan says I have to stop surprising people like that! But… you looked so sad, and I don't like it when I see a person sad. So I thought that maybe I should go make you feel better because Nii-Chan says that…"

"Nii-Chan?" she groggily asks as the strange person tries to pull her up. A look of enlightenment comes over the child's face at hearing the strangers question, and so continues rambling on in that high-pitched child like voice of hers.

"Yeah Nii-Chan, he knows how to make everything better. He watches over me, and is the bestest big brother in the whole wide world! But he's not here right now; he's busy doing something…" A deflated look flickers over her face but is quickly replaced by a look brighter than before. At this the young shinigami blinks. "But he should be back at any time, and then maybe you can meet him. If he was here right now he could surely cheer you up, Nii-Chan knows how to do everything." Nodding to herself, she quickly turns her gaze back over to the girl with a big smile on her face. Suddenly her face changes to a more serious look, looking misplaced on such a young face. "So why are you crying?"

Jolting her head upwards at the sudden question, snapping out of her dazed state, she simply stares at her with shock. For a moment she stares, until she lowers her eyes back down to the ground as her face darkens and changes to one of distrust.

Not looking at her she bitterly mumbles "Why would you care."

"Because, I understand how you feel." She murmurs, so silent and yet filled to the brim with justification.

"What!" Moving her eyes to look back up at her, her face showing surprise at the comment, this changes to one of rage. "How the hell do you understand me? We are nothing alike, I mean look at me! At least you're normal… I mean, I'm just a… just a…" as she quickly deflates, anger gone. "A freak…" she says almost silently, closing her eyes.

"That's what you think, but we are really just the same"

"Where do you get that idea from?" she spat.

"Ummm…cause it's the truth?" The girl says confused, making it sound more like a question than a statement.

"What do you mean?"

"Ummm…" Quickly she looks around as if an idea will spring up out of nowhere.

'_Hmmm…Trees, trees, trees, more trees, a lady bug, a run down bench, a swing, wild flowers, weeds' _she thinks to herself._ 'Wait, that's it!'_

Face brightening at her sudden idea, she smiles at what she is sure will surely work. "I know!" she states, nodding in satisfaction. "If this doesn't prove that we're the same, then, then, I don't know what would!" And with this exclamation does she take a few steps backwards, glancing around all the long while. Meanwhile the other one just carries on looking mystified with a grumpy sense of disbelief. "Hopefully Ni-Chan doesn't get mad at me for showing you this, but I think he would understand. After all what he doesn't know won't hurt him!" Confident that no ones around as the place they choose to stay in is fairly abandoned, she whispers softly to herself all serious-like as if she was sharing some super important secret. And what a large secret that was.

"Soul release"

And like the strike of a match as it catches aflame, the area itself distinctly changes; caked over layers of dust and debris picks itself up to travel around the area followed closely behind by left over gravel and dirt as something strange and mystical, but wonderful begins to happen. For from within the very folds of space itself lies a power so vast and deep that it can do wonders in both tragedy and honesty. And yet this very power chooses to allow itself to be molded for a being such as her; so weak and defenseless; only showing itself briefly as it transforms into a magenta dome of light, forming itself around her. The wind it whispers its coppered tale in the breezes resting against the shade of trees, whickering and nickering against branches clad in leaves. Balls of light in the shape of small butterflies litter the air as the atmosphere itself changes to something more from that of a fairy tale; and yet only two small children get the chance to see. And suddenly all at once, pink light blooms from the child's back, slowly peeling itself back merging with the air in the shape of brightly lit butterfly wings. Meanwhile from upon her head rests a crown just waiting to be unfolded. These antennae pull themselves forwards just to complete the transformation, before curving back downwards from their straightened formation as if made from something that is definitely not light; bouncing as they make their way down as the dome itself dissipates leaving behind nothing but the glow which blankets the area.

Speechless and yet amazed at the sudden transformation, the awaiting audience can only let out a gasp of awe at seeing a display so opposite of their own. "Whoa!" She breathes out upon getting her breath back. "Just what…What are you?" Nothing is on her mind at that moment, no distrust, no pain, just the aching curiosity brought out by that moment as a thought comes to mind. '_Maybe, maybe she isn't so different after all.'_

"I'm a witch!" She chirps, breaking the trance that has taken hold. "Strange, mostly everyone knows what I am…" she trails off before getting back on track. "Anyways… What about you? I've never seen anyone with stripes like yours! And those eyes, their stunning you know?"

Blushing and shifting in sudden embarrassment, she stutters out "I…I don't know…" as she shifts uncomfortably at the sudden attention towards her own daunting features.

"What do you mean you don't know?

"I just…just…don't." She said dejectedly, all the while looking for a way to change the subject. Looking for something besides awe perhaps, something familiar, even as the source of all these confusing thoughts is skipping over without a care; antennae bouncing up and down with her motions and light dancing on a whim. She needs to change it, needs to get away just to find some semblance of normalcy in her world for what could exist with such divine light than her own shadowed form. And yet she doesn't want to. Doesn't want to leave something so beautiful compared to her own, something so pure of all the hate that litters it. And it is with this that she wishes to break it, just to find something to hate within all these questions, to chase away this feeling.

She doesn't understand why she is so afraid; she just wants it all too just go away.

And so she erupts, not in the least bit saddened as the light shrinks inwards away from her words, after all she knows nothing but this. She just wants everything to go away.

She's uncomfortable and sore, and tired from all the strains placed upon her. Tired of being on her own all the time, facing the world on her own, and scared of the chance to no longer be. She does not want it to all to just be a lie. So she screams and she shouts, just to try to get it to go away so that there is no chance to taint such a pure thing. "What does it matter to you? It means nothing, just nothing. It's just something for people to stare at and make fun of! Besides, why should you care anyways, your probably just lying like everyone else does! You don't really care, you're just trying to trick me like all that came before."

"But I'm not…" she says, confused at the sudden personality switch and yet for some reason she doesn't back away. She wishes she would.

"Just stop!" She snaps at her, her own darkness seeping out. "Stop acting like you care! No ones cares about me so why should you!" she shouts and she snarls, raving at the skies as shadows creep forward and dance where the light no longer reaches. Glaring at her as she begins to unconsciously advance forward, frost dancing at her tongue as years of pent-up feelings finally make their way out just to target itself on the only person in sight. She just wants everything to go away. And yet she doesn't really mean it, not really. _'Don't leave me' _goes unsaid, remaining within the inner confines of her mind.

"Everyone hates me, so why don't you? Even I hate me too don't you see!"

And yet she stays, simply staring, with eyes so bright and mild without any traces of fear. '_And yet does that make it any better?' _goes unsaid from her lips.

"Just stop it! Stop pretending! Stop with the lies! You're only going to use me like everyone else."

"Why?" she interrupts, speaking so calmly and softly with her head tilted to the side as if they were discussing something besides this one-sided yelling match.

A pause, simply silence, even as she stands she collapses inwardly. Desperately she tries to suck in some sort of air just to breath; reeling from the impact of just one word. One word with the power to halt her screams as she chokes in her attempt to breathe.

Breathing heavily as she falls forward down to her knees, shocked at the sudden outburst. Nobody's ever done this before. She doesn't know what to do. Doesn't know what to say, so she searches for something, to show that what she is doing is pointless, that it won't work, it means nothing to her; but instead all it does is cause her words to come out wrong and pointless, sounding delirious to her own ears. And yet it's not working. "Why shouldn't I care?" she tries to stop, tries to control her-self and not break; unable to understand why she seems to want to actually care. She doesn't know what's happening. "S-s-stop it. S-s-stop…" she whines, whimpering. Body shivering as something wet drips down her cheeks, as she chokes on something neither vomit nor spit. Teeth gnashing as fingers scratch, digging deeper into her emaciated frame.

'_Why are you so friendly?' _she wants to ask, wants to cry out and scream. Yet she remains unable to, unable to behind the spell cast upon her.

Whimpering, her breath catches in her throat as her thoughts continue to break; she can't even form a simple sentence in her mind now perhaps it's because she is unable to breathe? Her words become more frantic, no longer making anymore sense then they did before as she heads towards an emotional breakdown. She has no clue as to what is happening. "No ones, n-no ones ev-ev-v-ver just plain fr-fr-friend-d-d-ly to me… N-n-no one" She wants to run, and yet her feet won't work. Wants to run and never come back to someone like this who can make her fall to her knees like this from just a word. She promised herself to be strong, to never be hurt like this again and yet… she isn't really hurting is she? Not when there is no wounds that she is aware of. And yet how can there be nothing when she can't even form a simple word nor sentence, or even take in a simple breathe without struggle. She is unaware that she is rocking; too busy trying not to hiccup to see. All she is aware of is something screaming, something screaming and yet she has no clue to what it could be. "Wh-why can't you h-hate m-me too…? Everyone else al-re-ready does so why don't you?" _'It hurts, make it stop, make it stop!'_

She is still there the next time she opens her eyes, not that she is aware of closing them in the first place, at least from what she can see from within the blurry mess. Snot is dripping down her nose, and it is gross and disgusting and needs to be wiped away before it makes its way into her mouth and yet she can't make a move. "I'm not everyone else…" she hears as she takes a step forward. "S-s-stop, just stop _'go away'_, I'm, I'm fine you're just, you're just."

"What?" A sharp intake of breath is dealt at the sharp commandment as she takes another step forward. The light is blinding, all darkness fades away. "G-g-go away" she whines, and this time mud is thrown. She doesn't know how that happened, but perhaps demanding will work. Perhaps it will make everything better and get this feeling to go away.

"No" She is outright hyperventilating by now, as she takes the final step forward; mud missing. She is right in front of her now, and wishes it not to be. "N-n-nothings wrong" One last desperate act, one last plea to see if she will leave; she can't handle this stress right now, feeling so faint that she might just heave. By now there is no more mud to be thrown, leaving her with nothing but frozen fingertips and soaked to the bone.

And needless to say it doesn't work.

'_Save me please'_

Kneeling down the child reaches over to gently tilt her head upwards just to make her see; see that not all hope is lost. Forcing her to look directly into her gaze into eyes that shine so bright and yet are cold. Eyes that are so cold but warm as they appear to glow, intensified with the absolute truth. "If that's the truth then why can I hear your soul screaming?" She wants to laugh, she wants to cry; she just doesn't know what to do. What is she supposed to do?

She needs it to stop, wants her to stop, to just go away and leave her and yet… she just continues persistently on, all child-like qualities gone from her. _'It's not a child, not a child, who is she, just who is she with eyes so like my own' _"Please tell me what's wrong; I just want to help you… We are the same after all so won't you tell me what the matter is? Pausing for a minute just to see if she has gotten her attention, tapping her on the cheek to see if she does, she asks once more for the final time; in a deathly calm voice that belays all that is needed to be said "What's the matter?"

With that, she broke.

She completely and utterly broke.

After years of keeping it bottled up, all these feelings of pain and sorrow, she let go. Not caring anymore, she allows her inner self to shut down on her just to have this chance; spilling everything and anything she could think of to the one who would actually listen. The one who took time out of their own schedule to use for her. And it was because of this did she tell her, her story. Told her of the loneliness, the abuse, her fears and insecurities, and most of all told her about the shinigami. And she listened. She listened when no-one else would, too obsessed over something she was not.

"Don't worry I'm here now, you're not the only one… not anymore"

And for the very first time she cried…Cried for her lost childhood innocence that she never had…cried for the many hardships she went through, and the hurtful loneliness she felt. Cried about the thoughts of death that she shouldn't have, of making everyone feel her pain.

But with this release, it felt as if everything drifted away. The pain was finally gone, emotions washed away. She never realizes just how she came to be clinging to such a being so unlike anyone else but the same, but somewhere within her she knows she doesn't care. And as she clung to her, sobbing into the stranger's chest of a person who appears to be just a child but isn't; for the very first time she felt a new feeling arise… happiness.

And as her sobs began to die down to sniffles, and the patting and rubbing began to come less frequently, all is quiet once more. There is no more screaming in her own head. This she knows is her chance to let go, to escape, and yet she doesn't want to, not really. Too tired, too drained from all the social interaction that has occurred and the screaming matches she has done. But she does so anyway, knowing that this couldn't last forever. No longer is she afraid, no longer does she hate and yet she remains unsure; unsure as she simply stares up with reddened eyes as she sits up straight, sniffling all the while.

And yet she finds herself laughing, laughing as the not child returns to being such and out of nowhere exclaims "Watch this!" as she puts her hands together causing a warm pink to glow from within.

For some reason she wishes for her to remain this way forevermore.

Upon reopening her hands, in the place of emptiness from before, now lies a butterfly of the exact same coloration of her own. And at first although it remained still, as if suspended in time, it then suddenly moved and she knew everything would be alright. Watching with such fascination that she never knew she had as the figurine of light fluttered its wings and danced within mid-air; finishing its dance with a resounding pop as it disappeared in a cascade of sparkles.

This is what caused her to burst out into laughter, a laugh she hasn't done for a very long time. Laughing, not a fake laugh that she is used too but a real, true laugh she never knew she could make. And once she started she couldn't stop no matter how hard she tried to, so she laughed until tears spilt down her face, laughed until she couldn't breath before choking on her own spit, but still she laughed to the point where she thought she might have just snapped and finally gone insane. But of course it wouldn't last forever, after all nothing ever does; but right then and there nothing else mattered. Not the future, and not the past just the present in which it lasts.

Neither of them noticed the tell-tale signs of insanity around them, not that they knew that was what it meant, but to them it was as if it wasn't even there. After all if only they could see it why should it matter? It's not affecting anyone now is it?

And as their laughter turned to giggles, and the giggles began to dispense into sudden bouts of laughter all was quiet in the area once more. This silence lasted like all silences ever do; only to be interrupted by the fairy child as she stands up, dispensing her wings and antennae as she brushes her leg off. Deeming her legs to be brushed off enough, she extends a hand out to her as she says. "Anyways, sorry for making you wet! My name's Hana, what's yours?"

Wiping her eyes of tears before extending her own, she asks confused "My name?"

"Yep!" Hana says cheerfully, serious demeanor gone from before as she comically struggles to pull her up on to her feet.

Now up on her feet she doesn't think she should respond, not wanting to ruin this new-found atmosphere she has discovered with her aversion. She does so anyways. "I…I don't think I have a name?" she responds, still unsure making it more of a question then a statement as her eyes lower themselves to beside them, looking back at her reflection in the puddle below. After all she doesn't really exist, not really…

Waving her arms in exclamation, Hana says "Oh…But you have to have a name, everyone has a name!"

"I…I guess I just don't remember then… unless you count shinigami, freak, useless" she replies back, muttering the last part to herself.

Suddenly a serious face comes over the child, once again looking misplaced even if it did appear not to long ago. "What was that?" She questions.

"N-n-nothing" she hurriedly placates, waving her hands back and forth in an attempt to reassure; not wanting to go down that road once again.

"Are you sure you don't remember anything?" Hana asks once more.

"Well, maybe…"

"Really? Then what is it?" Hana chirped.

'_Did, did she just chirp?'_

"W-well, it, it starts with an A…" she stammers, still baffled to have actually heard someone human do a chirp. But perhaps she's also stammering for another reason, as a blush makes its way across her face. After all she has had no one else to disclose this special information with before. Only she knows of it, yet a large part of her wonders if it is false. But if it is false why does she continue to use it?

"Let's hear it, let's hear it!"

"I… I don't know, I haven't actually used it in a very long time, nor have I heard it except from my screaming…"

"That's alright; you can tell me it. I won't tell a soul!"

"Really?" she asks, hopeful yet giddy that she finally has the chance to be someone, to exist.

"Yep, I shan't share it with no-one. Nope, nope, nope, nope! Cross my heart and hope to die if I so do!"

"Cross my heart and hope to die?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die! I'll even do a pinkie promise if that'll make you feel better, and tie a string around my finger so that I never forget!"

"Really, really?"

"Really, really, really!"

"O-okay, I guess I can trust you… even if I don't quite know what those other things are… it's, it's Amaya alright?"

"That's a nice name, I think it suits you! Besides we got all the time in the world to tell you all about these things.

"Really, you'd do that?"

"Yep, I mean we are friends now right?"

"Friends?" She asks. "I think I'd like that, what ever that is" she mumbles the last part.

Not hearing the last part, to excited at the prospect of a new friend, she continues on "But first off, before we do whatever it is friends do, I want to ask you something".

"Yeah, what is it?"

A look of intense concentration goes over her curious face, scrunching her face up as she tries to pronounce a certain word. "A Sh-Shi-ni-gam-mi?" She pronounces. "What's that?"

'_She doesn't know?' _Amaya confusedly thinks, baffled by this fact. Everybody knows it except for her and yet… she doesn't know? What?

"I…I don't know?" she squeaks out, flabbergasted at this news. Perhaps only adults know it?

"If you don't know then how are you one?" Hana responds back, as if it was as simple as that.

"Eh~" she squawks. "I don't know, but apparently I am…"

"Why?" she interrupts.

"Why is what?" Amaya responds

"Why is that?"

"Cause that's what people call me when ever they see me?" she says as if it should have been obvious.

"But if you don't know what one is, then that means you cannot be one cause you would have to know what one is to be one and, and, and that means that you are you not a Shinigami person thingy-majig.

Blinking in surprise at this sudden revelation, overcome by disbelief that she has never thought of this before

"Really, you think so?"

"Yeah, I mean that's what they call you doesn't mean you really are one. It could be just simply a thing of mistaken identity."

"Seriously?" she replies with shock, as if the sentence shouldn't exist.

"Yep!" she chirps and then suddenly she finds herself being squeezed.

"Thank you!" she whispers as she stoops down for a hug.

"No problem, even though I don't really know what for…" Hana says innocently, as if the events that took place before never happened, before becoming released from her hold. "But now that that's settled let's go!" Hana says, before dragging the girl off.

Eyes widened with surprise, she is unable to do anything except to be dragged off with such fervor befitting of a child.

And for the first time in years they each had fun, unaware of eyes watching them from the darkness of the shadows. After all it's no fun when you have nobody to play with, no one to share with your exploits of time. And so they remain beneath the bliss, unaware of preying eyes watching them. Eyes full of hate.

But they didn't notice this, too caught up in the world of their own imagination, of tales of shipwrecks and flying whales. Even as the wings of a butterfly disappeared, stolen by the one-eyed Sea-forest troll of mischief, and even as they played on the swings, swinging higher and higher before jumping off into the puddles turned into a lake to get into the castle and pasts its defenses to get to the dragon disguised as the queen. Playing on the climber with pointed sticks in hand, fighting one another as they clamber about; Captain Papillon of the Mariposa versus the all mighty Queen of Thieves, Baroness of Fiore. Climbing trees and playing in the leaves like all children should, they watch the leaves dance as they spun 'round and round beneath them. And as the sun set further in the sky, and the shadows grew longer blanketing the ground in shades of grey; they find themselves sitting on the very swings they once were at, out of breath and tired after a long day of fun.

"I had fun didn't you?" Hana asks breathlessly, breaking the peaceful silence as a faint breeze blows by.

"Yes" she smiles warmly, a look of absolute calm flitting across her face as the wind pulls gently on their swings, causing them to rock gently back and forth. "I did."

"Well that's good!" She says smiling happily, which soon turns into a pout. "Too bad it's getting late which means Nii-San is going to be here soon"

A frown forms at the news as she quietly asks "Do you really have to go?"

"Un-fort-tuna-ate-lee" She attempts to enunciate, only to become tongue-tied before continuing. "I have too. Can't have Nii-San worrying about me after all, but what about you? Where will you go?"

Shrugging her shoulders she simply replies "I'll probably end up sleeping here for tonight, after all nothing has a better view than falling asleep underneath the stars."

"But- But- But you can't just sleep here all alone! There are monsters out here, and there's scary people and the dark and its cold and wet and-and-and…" she says, hair puffing up, before being cut off.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's alright, it's not the first time I've done this after all, it'll be alright." Amaya tries to reassure, but it's hard to do so when she doesn't exactly know what was wrong with what she said. After all this is normalcy.

"But you'll be all alone, how am I supposed to find you tomorrow if I don't even know if you're alright?"

"Ermm… Well we cou-" she attempts to say before being cut-off mid-sentence.

"I know! Why don't you stay with Nii-san and me! Not only would we be together, and you'll be safe and warm, I would know where you are and you could actually meet him!"

"R-Really? B-but wouldn't that be, I don't know… too much to ask?"

"No, not really…. Nii-san would understand"

"Just… like, that?" she asks perplexed. "But…but we just met. Why would he be so okay with that? How can you be so sure?"

"Like I said from before, I don't like seeing people upset. He doesn't either, and for that he trusts me all the same. Besides, like I said before! We are the same and friends now, wait family, it's what friends and family do!"

"But-but what if I screw up, or you get bored of me or something… What if I'm not what you expected?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Like, like what if I mess up or something. What if-"

"You think too much silly, like my brother always says just go with the flow-"

And although listening intently she can't help but interrupt; stomach rolling in distress. "What was that?" Amaya cuts off, just now hearing the crunch of leaves indicating someone is there… watching… waiting… but for what?

"-or just think of the present. Hey I was talking here!" Hana huffs; put off at being interrupted. She doesn't know they are no longer alone, not having the senses she has.

"Shhhh… I think I hear something" She shushes. It is only then she notices the absence of birds tweeting and the snap of a twig instead. Slowly getting up from her place on the swing she scours the area, senses open to the max as she steps forward slowly and carefully, on the look out for anything misplaced.

"Wait, what? I'm highly confused here, I can't hear nuttin'. What was what?" she asks as she makes her way to stand beside her.

Minutes turn to seconds, as time ticks down to a crawl. A chill makes its way up her spine, and she knows something bad is going to happen. "I-I think, I think its time to leave now" she says fearfully as she takes Hana's wrist in hand, beginning to make her way forward.

At the suddenness she struggles, confused as to what has scared her friend so. "Why? Nii-san should be here any minute now." Not understanding the vast importance of this act.

"Hana I'm serious, we have to leave right now-"

And then she hears it, the thick thumping of something big and heavy lumbering across the ground. The sound of heavyset breathing as a sharp growl sounds its way towards them. It is only then does she turn around, eyes widening, as time winds down to a standstill.

"Well shit."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Soul's Stripes, Scarves and Weapon**

**Chapter 4:**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Soul Eater, seeing as it rightfully belongs to Atsushi Okubo as it shall and forever be. The only thing that I own is my Oc's.**

**Author's Note: Guess who's back, and it only took me a mere seven/eight months to do so; a new record! So a few things to note... a couple of things has been changed, but nothing too big, and not necessarily in this chapter so keep a sharp eye out for them in the future. Also I have seem to figure out the problem to my once a year updating, so hopefully updates will come much, much quicker. If they don't its due to my uncanny urge to redo the first two chapters, but hopefully that will pass... (or randomly doing future chapters instead of working on the current one) so don't be surprised if they are suddenly updated one day though, because they are really, and by really I mean extremely, starting to bug me; irritatingly so. Anyways I would like to thank my reviewers for the reviews, and to my followers for dutifully following along with my rather erratic posting. Anyways, enough about that now on to the show! And remember, reviews are always welcome!**

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_Suspended in time, held aloft in space… Ambushed and with no more fight left to give. She thought she knew this place, this place of oblivion; after all she was just here not that long ago, except in a different time and perhaps even a different place. And yet, they continue to prove her wrong._

_Too bad she has already fallen, ensnared, rapturous; there is nothing more that she can do… Nothing more to do but to allow the brazened tides to drag her forth, out to sea and be carried down towards the bottom deeps so that she can no longer be. No longer will she feel, no longer can she run, all noises drown beneath the roars of the furthest sun. _

_This, she thinks, she knows, she hums is pure perfection. All her worries are gone; there is no longer any need to fear, for everything shall soon meet its end. And just as she basks in its glow that radiates of both comfort and familiarity, will she shut her eyes and dream… And yet she cannot sleep. _

_She is dreamless, still wide-awake, kept up by the deep yearning in the pits of her aching soul. She wants it, needs it, craves it so; hungers for that one brief taste that she had felt upon her tongue. And yet she resists… It is, she thinks, she knows, she sighs, what she can no longer have and thus has already been taken away. It doesn't matter, not anymore…_

_And yet she still searches, fitful but solemn, despite the fact she knows that she does not deserve it. But then she finds something else, something more, as curiosity grants hold. Something that is beautiful and right, something that is as warm and bright as a nova's glow, and as soft as the summer's rain. It is the kind of warmth that she has never felt nor seen even in the wildest of her own imagination; having been taken from the realm of all things implausible into the realm of possibility. It is just so colourful… faint and full, deep but shallow. Surely her words, no thoughts, cannot even begin to convey what it seems to be, and knows that it can never be duplicated; it is simply that simple. And to her great surprise it stays; washing away the cold with fumes of fire and drying up all the rain with its song. _

_And so she has little choice but to awaken._

* * *

Even as those words leave her lips she already knows that it is too late. Too late to move, too late to run… too late to deny that this is really happening and that this isn't all just some figment of her imagination.

She is already frozen, enraptured, by the spell that is once again upon her. But this time there is no fighting it, no stopping, for she is just so tired… There is nothing left within her to do anything more than stare; stare at her demons who have followed her in. For they have finally caught up to her, having kept up with her hurried pace all along, and now stands outside her door. And with what few words she held already swallowed up by dry, bitter lips she lets them in.

But then she realizes something, something that causes them to lose her trail under the musk of dirt and the door once again closes. This realization sets her back onto the earthen plane as warmth and gentleness entwines itself around her own still form; being the touch of another person as their hand slides, trembling, into her own as it tugs and it pulls not wanting to let go. It is so small and fragile compared to her own hand… she doesn't quite know what to do with it, not wanting to accidentally wind up breaking it. But with its reassurance she knows then, and only then, that she is no longer alone.

She doesn't know whether to be terrified of that concept or at ease.

But as afraid as she is of the imposing figure that reminds her too much of lupus eyes and Canidae trot, she knows someone else that is just as scared. To them they are probably just as big, just as scary then what she can plainly see; features heightened to the point of exaggeration.

And thus the spell falls, as thoughts turn from the pits of despair towards clouded confidence. She can do this, no she will do this; she will run no longer. With that thought in mind does bravado finds her standing, jaws clenched, teeth bared. She knows what she must do, knows what she can do, there is no option left but to see this through. She can, no will do this. She will not be weak again. She will not lose the only thing she has left.

She will not let him have her.

And so does the brittle hand become affixed as they grip back with strength equal to that of desperation. Soft and gentle do they cling; a small buoy marked to keep her from becoming lost in the sea of fog and mist. To the one who offered, the connection closes, mud-caked fingers being added into the fold as they clench, unwavering, fitting perfectly.

And as their differences respond in kind, borrowing from one another, does she pull and she tug; dragging her along in the hopes that they may find a place that is anywhere but here.

They don't even bother to take a good look at the beast, for the intent is already there and that is all that they need. The drum bellows, muted chuckles sound, and suddenly the wind whispers as fabric flutters in the breeze. She stumbles, knocked down, knees knocking, but it does not matter much as she scrambles to get back up. She doesn't think that she is bleeding, too scared to check and see, yet it does nothing to stop her from wondering if what she feels isn't what she think it is.

It is not enough, she soon finds out with the earth now at her back and the sky within reach as she goes air-borne, flying; head over heels. The extended cord can do nothing but snap beneath the weight of gravity, and finds that all she can do is fall, unsupported, outcast, into the dirt. Rolling over and over as she careens right on down, her venture only ends when she slams right into a tree.

But even then she knows there is no time to think, to take a breather; for she has already seen the way the shadow moved as it places itself beneath. Straining she moves just in time for the shadowed mass to miss, but the world still crashes, shaking on impact, and she finds herself unable to support her weight, too little, too late; arm giving out beneath her.

He takes this time to laugh at her failures, at her follies and at her sad attempts to escape; laughing at the way she so feebly clings to such a thing as hope. He stands before her, beyond her, out of reach from her sight as he takes his time to dilly-dally and look at the sights. Never does he move to strike her, not entering within striking range, neither does he enter her space having chosen to circle instead; twinkling eyes roaming at the latest catch of the day. Rumbling, he purrs in satisfaction; voice drifting in and out of her ears.

"Give in little piglet." He calls, murmuring. "Give in and everything will be so much better"

_'Lies' _is screamed, raving, by a voice who is assuredly not her; it having come from within the inner confines of her mind itself. And yet the voice speaks the truth for it is what she wants to say, wants to scream out and shout but is too afraid to tell. _'It always hurts in the end…'_

"I promise you that you won't feel a thing" he assures just as he pounces; missing by a small margin as she rolls out-of-the-way. Even with the dark voice's prompting, she knows that he is lying. After all that's all adults ever do; lie with their teeth clenched and false smiles upon their lips, speaking in soothing tones to reassure that everything will be alright in the end. But she has already been lied to not just once, twice or thrice but more, she will not dare make the same mistake again. But even with that thought in mind her bravado continues to fall; crumpling at its seams as it unravels faster than she can reach. She knows that she must, needs to find; the other, the missing, her friend for only then will she have the support needed to keep on going.

But she can't find her, can't see her no matter how far she looks. With every toss, every turn there is no sign of her being there. Perhaps she is behind him? But when she goes to look all that she hears are the sounds of the sanguine blades dropping to the silence of the wind. All that she sees are strands of ebon lying victimized, cascading, through the air.

And as a small squeak leaves her mouth she stands wide-eyed, panicked, even as she bends; back twinge letting its discomfort known as the world distorts; beloved sky above and shattered earth at her feet. But then her stomach drops with the force of passionless bereavement as resistance is met and she is dragged back down onto her feet. All she sees is the incoming train wreck before it is met, head ringing, lights flashing as copper-based undertones fill her mouth and slides down her throat.

Her body hits the floor before her mind is finished processing; it is too fixed upon the familiarity of such an action then what is right in front of her. It's the same after all, everything remains the same, nothing is ever different; when is it ever…

**Changed**

Picked up she sways to the motion of the silent world's lurching, she can do nothing more but follow along to the gathering masses and risk being exposed. She allows herself to be hooked upon the swinging blade, skin catching, as a crooked smile is forced upon the rising tilt of her lips with no consent to her feelings what so ever. Red wine rivulets drip down in their stead, letting her true thoughts of dissatisfaction be known, as pallid cheeks crumble from where the roses of red are now laid; forever marked by three congregated brambled lines whose main purpose is to desecrate. And as stagnant roots cradled her from total collapse, does she find some sort of aid against the merciless being towering overhead. For these roots she uses as a guide in hopes of reaching paradise; she tries and she tries but no matter how much she claws at the withered bark she cannot climb back up, cannot stand up, she cannot find her way out of hell.

And as compensation for her attempts does her fingernails fall off one by one; splintering like fragmented shards as they separate and become engraved in the seething mass. The rustling of the tree leaves accompany their induction, wailing, as castaway bark showers upon her like rain from the sky.

He misses on purpose; she knows this to be true. And when she is dragged away from the ancient bark, crying out, it does not come to her as a surprise. It is only expected after all.

What is not expected is the sudden cacophony of sound.

"Lepi-Lepi,"

It surprises her enough that she does not struggle, does not fight as she is strung up and exemplified by the roots of her hair.

"Euthali Anosi;"

Where is it coming from, where could it possibly be? These senseless words couldn't possibly be coming from her now, could it? But who else could speak in a tone that is as strong as it is bold, so absent of fear but fearful all on its own.

"Pap-pip-pon,"

It is all just contradictory, the way it is but is not at the same time. The way it is that she can hear it but he cannot. Why he can't hear it? Well, since when could monsters sense anything but fear. These are the reasons why, she thinks to herself, she does not –cannot- pay attention any longer. She does not mind the way she sways, held up, objectified, nor does she care for the way she finds herself lowered down so that he can cast his grip anew. It doesn't matter, not really, for euphoria has already gotten her within its grip; the chemical concoction of blood, hormones and oxygen making her dizzy and oh so happy.

"Papillon"

But he is not.

And as punishment does she find herself facing the tree once more; melting in towards its embrace as she is slammed, throat clenched, into the withered bark. It is tired, she knows that now, tired and oh how she longs to fix it. But does it matter? Not really… serrated teeth pinprick and cut away at her skin allowing angry red patterns to be formed. Gasping for breath all she can do is smile, manic, wide-eyed as she panics; thoughts growing chaotic while nervous laughter fills her chest. 'It would be nice,' she thinks, 'to be a tree. Why isn't that a silly thought; ha-ha. Maybe next time, there is always next time', '_**there will be, there has to be!'**_, when she can actually give out air. It is only then would she be-'

"Do-terae dyloide!"

Oh wait, hold that thought for with the ending of the voice comes an unknown sensation the likes she has never felt before. She is falling, yes, but she has never before been accompanied by this symphony of sound. Bells crash upon their high pedestals as space itself folds over and crackles from beneath the heat of the sundered star; leaving the sky to bleed in showers of pinkish-purpley light. Sparks float down upon her face, a miracle in her eyes as they do not give out an ounce of heat just as the air, once released, returns to her lungs from whence it came from.

And then she is moving, faster than she realizes; moving before she even touches the ground. From behind her inhuman sounds are felt rather than heard as the connection returns to her ten-fold; stabilizing her when her leg falters, creaking, cracking, breaking down as tendrils of white light flash from beneath closed eyelids.

'_**This way, this way**_' the voices of the woodlands call, leading them down a path unknown to them before. This is all surreal, the way the world has turned black only to be replaced by fabricated beings of color, the way her view ripples in tune to the monster roaring and how the world quakes with each and every step she takes; each one taking her closer to the edge.

Everything blurs together.

And then she sees it, sees their salvation; it is just beyond the reach of the trees. Only problem is, there is something blocking the way; of course. But they are almost there, and that is all that matters. So she allows herself a moment to think '_we'll make it, we really will!_' only for her hopes to have gone astray. For with it returns the beast in all his profound glory. Vivacious orbs glare back at them, enraged, inflamed, the color of coals that have stepped too far into the flames as he lumbers forth, slow but unfaltering, with roots snapping in his hands as he makes his way out into the open.

The next thing she knows is the smell of rust and the arching pressure as she is knocked down. And then she knows nothing but pain. It takes everything within not to cry out and heave at the sight of the open fracture. A wail is let out in its stead instead, convulsing, as she gags on her own bile.

It hurts…

"I forgive you, you know" she hears as he starts making his way towards her, the loud 'smack' and sharp yelp is the only thing that informs her to the whereabouts of her friend. The next thing she knows is his face aligned with her own; form crouching right next to hers as his claw hooks upon her chin. "Forgive you for your failures. I'll forgive you for misunderstanding, forgive you for still believing. But by the end of this day, will you understand? It is only human nature after all" he smirks, teeth grating as he drops her head onto the floor and rolls her out of the tight ball she has found herself in.

She knows now that all chances of escape are gone just as she realizes that his face was never a face after all, it was simply a mask. A rugged pelt worn to hide his face, deformed and twisted so that what once was up is down and what is down is up all the while staring, unflinching, through crooked glass eyes.

"But then again, you're not human now are you?" he coos; picking her up in one hand just to see the look on her face when he pokes her with the other. He finds himself laughing when he sees her grimace, whining, only for his chuckles to die down when he notices spittle sliding off of her. Frowning he takes his one and only good pocket-handkerchief, soiled and tattered, from the pocket of his waistcoat and rubs it away; but all it does is spread the red further while releasing others. After all, it would be unfitting of a gentleman such as he if he spat on his food now, wouldn't it? But unknown to him, it isn't pain nor fear that is the reason for the grimace, nor the whine that came from her throat. It was the words themselves, and what comes next is a shock to his prestige. "My dear…"

Eyes lock.

"Sweet…"

Fingers close.

"Beautiful…

Teeth are barred.

"Shinigami"

And she swings.

Pain courses through her, but she is numb to it. Nothing else matter except for one last hit. The impact leaves her breathless, overwhelmed, full; body twitching, skin writhing, as elastic skin stretches with the force of one's last plea.

His body twitches…

Head turns.

It's not enough.

But she feels so elated.

"You little bitch!" he screams, and only then does she falter. Hesitantly she finds herself asking, as elation is overridden. 'Oh God… what have I done?'

A swinging blade is her only answer as it lays waste to everything she holds dear.

She knows nothing more but the outpouring red, knows nothing more but the white noise screaming in her ears. Eyelids find themselves closing, unseeing, unfeeling, and numb to all but the warmth of the flowers worth their weight in gold. She finds herself ignoring the garbled sounds of the outside world, no matter how much it pains her to do so, and thus does everything slow, people, noise… color, feeling; until all that is left is the pulsing 'bump…bump…bump…' that echoes within the black.

She knows nothing more.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

And then she is pulled away, eye lids reopening, to find her self in the embrace of the rising sun's halo.

* * *

_To be continued..._


End file.
